Box blank folding machine and method



Oct. 9, 1956 H. F. WISCHUSEN BOX BLANK FOLDING MACHINE AND METHOD 6Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 3, 1955 Oct. 9, 1956 H. F. WISCHUSEN 2,765,714

BOX BLANK FOLDING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed June 3, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 2Oct 1956 H. F. WISCHUSEN BOX BLANK FOLDING MACHINE AND METHOD 6Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 3, 1955 a n M 5 4 4y 1 a w m m w W w 1956 H.F. WISCHUSEN BOX BLANK FOLDING MACHINE AND METHOD 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledJune 3, 1955 wezzioa Hwy Ell,

1956 H. F. WISCHUSEN BUX BLANK FOLDING momma; AND METHOD 6 Sheets-Sheet5 Filed June 5, 1955 06L 1956 H. F. WISCHUSEN BOX BLANK FOLDING MACHINEAND METHOD 6' Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 3, 1955 BOX BLANK FOLDINGMACHINE AND METHOD Henry F. Wischusen, Melrose, Mass., assignor to PostMachinery Company, Beverly, Mass., a corporation of MassachusettsApplication June 3, 1955, Serial No. 512,966

3 Claims. (Cl. 93-49) This invention relates to a novel method andmachine for folding scored paper blanks to box forming configuration andapplying bonding adhesive thereto. Machines for performing thisoperation have commonly employed endless conveyors for feeding blanksthrough the machine and mechanism operated in timed relation therewithfor folding the blanks and applying the adhesive. Such timingrequirement not only renders the machine complex and expensive butfurthermore substantially limits the possible operating speed. A primaryobject of my invention resides in the production of a novel method andmachine for this purpose in which the timing requirement is eliminatedand which can be operated at very substantially higher speeds than havebeen heretofore possible.

The machine employing the invention includes coopover in overlappingrelation onto the blanks and an adhesive coated applicator disposedthereafter to contact and apply adhesive to the top faces of the foldedflap portions, all continuously as the blanks are carried through themachine. The production of novel mechanism of this nature and for thepurpose described, operating successively and continuously on the movingblanks without the employment of timing mechanism, comprises a furtherobject of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be more readilyunderstood and appreciated from the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration andshown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Fig. l is a fragmentaryplan view of a machine embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan of the adhesive applyingmechanism,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation taken on line 66 of Fig. 5 and showingthe blank approaching the adhesive applying wheel,

Fig. 7 is a like view showing the adhesive being applied,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of the adhesive applying mechanism,

Fig. 9 is a view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8 and showing the blankleaving the adhesive applying wheel,

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of Fig. 9,

Figs. 11-17 illustrate the blank in progressive folded relation as itpasses through the machine, and

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary view of the folded blank opened to box form.

In the drawings I have illustrated fragmentary portions of a machineadapted to fold and glue a flat blank 10 (Fig. 11) through the stepsillustrated in Figs. 11-17 2,765,714 Patented Get. 9, 1956 to the finalfolded blank 12 (Fig. 17). The blank as thus folded includes an open topend with closure flaps 14 and a closed bottom end 16. When the foldedblank is opened into a box 18 (Fig. 18) the folded and glued end 16automatically forms the box bottom 20. The box illustrated isparticularly adapted for use in the sale of popped corn and likeproducts.

A supply 21 of flat blanks 10 is supported in and fed consecutively froma magazine 22 through feed wheels 23 to the inner reaches of a pair ofcarrier belts 24. The carrier belts convey the blanks continuouslythrough the machine in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1). Each blankhas two symmetrical half sections each carrying flaps 26 and 23 on theadvancing end of the blank and which flaps are folded as hereinafterdescribed to form the bottom wall 20 of the box. The machine illustratedand described embodies duplicate mechanisms for folding and gluing theseflaps on the two half sections.

Each of said duplicate mechanism comprises a resilient flat leaf springarm 30 mounted for a limited free rocking movement on a transverse shaft31. The arm extends forwardly in the direction of movement of the blanksand has a downwardly extending hook 32 on its free end. The arm normallydrops by gravity to a position disposing the hook in the path ofmovement of a flap 26 and as a blank is fed forwardly the hook engagesthe flap and folds it upwardly and rearwardly about a crease line 34.During this movement a corner 35 of the flap comes into contact with abar 36 which folds the corner forwardly on a crease line 38.

The bar 36 is mounted on a shaft 39 affixed to the machine frame and isprovided with a spiral-like tapering surface 49 for folding the corneronto the flap to the position shown in Fig. 14. Simultaneously therewiththe folded flap 26 passes beneath a roller 42 which completes the foldthereto to against the blank to the position illustrated in Figs. 13 and14. The roller is carried on the bottom end of a rod 43 adjustablysupported in a bracket 44 on the frame. The continued forward movementof the blank carries the folded corner 35 beneath a hold down bar 46supported on shafts 39 and 47. The corner and flap are thus held downduring forward movement of the blank to the adhesive applying wheel 48supported on a shaft 49 and driven by a chain 50.

The glue applying wheel 48 is in longitudinal alignment with the cornerfold 35 and the hold down bar 46 ends short of the wheel. When the flap26 leaves the bar the flap and corner fold spring upwardly (Fig. 6) tosuch position that the periphery of the wheel contacts the corner andapplies adhesive thereto (Figs. 7 and 8). It will be noted that theperiphery of the Wheel is above and spaced from the blank so thatadhesive is applied only to the corner 35 in the 'area 54. As the blankleaves the wheel an untreated portion of the corner passes b neath a bar52 which continues to hold the corner and flap in folded position. Theblank has now been adhesively treated at 5 1 as illustrated in Fig. 15.

After leaving the glue wheels 48 the blanks are fed forwardly tomechanism, like the arms 30 and rollers 42 disposed to engage and foldthe flaps 2.8 to the position of Fig. 15. The blanks as thus folded arethereafter continued through the machine and folded as illustrated inFigs. 16 and 17. In Fig. 16 the blank has been folded on the crease line56 to engage its adhesive 54 with the adjacent flap 28. The folded blankis then passed beneath and in contact with a glue wheel to applyadhesive 57 to the closure flap 58. In Fig. 17 the blank has been foldedon the crease line 66 to engage the other flap 23 with the adjacentadhesive 54 and the end of the blank into contact with the adhesive 57.Thus in the final folded blank (Fig. 17) the blank ends have beenadhesively secured together and the bottom folds are adjust- 3 ablysecured at 54 so that the folds automatically form the bottom 20 whenthe blank is opened to the box form of Fig. 18.

The carrier belts 24 operate continuously and feed a continuous streamof blanks through the machine. Each blank in turn contacts the hooks 3 2and cooperating mechanism which fold the flaps 26 and corners 35 to theposition shown in Fig. 14, and thereafter the corners 35 pass beneathand in contact with the gluing wheel 48 to apply adhesive 54 thereto.All such mechanism operates continuously on the flowing stream of blanksand without the employment of timing mechanism heretofore commonlyemployed. The advantages resulting from the invention reside in both theextreme simplicity and economy of construction and in the greatlyincreased productive speed possible with this novel and improvedmechanism. Illustrative of the increased speed obtained by a machineemploying the invention is the fact that blanks of the type shown in thedrawing have been folded at a rate exceeding 30,000 per hour, whereasthe top speeds possible by previously known machines employing timingmechanism has been less than half this number of blanks.

Having thus disclosed my invention What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A continuous and non-synchronized method of folding and applyingadhesive to corner portions of flat paperboard blanks each scored alonga line providing a marginal flap portion integral with the blank at theline and each flap portion being scored along a second line providingone of said corner portions integral with the flap along such line,which consists in continuously and successively feeding the flat blanksalong a predetermined path with said flap portions foremost, foldingsaid flap portions upwardly and rearwardly about the first named line ata predetermined station in said path by resisting at their front marginsthe forward feeding movement of the blanks, simultaneously therewithfolding each corner portion forwardly onto the attached flap about thesecond named line by resisting said upward and rearward movement of thecorner portion with the flap, said folded corner portions normallyspringing upwardly away from contact with the attached flaps, andapplying adhesive to a predetermined area of the top face of each ofsaid forwardly folded corner portions at a subsequent station along saidpath by continuing said feeding movement of the folded blanks forwardlyalong the path with the upwardly sprung corner portions disposed beneathand in adhesive applying contact with an adhesively coated surfacedisposed in spaced relation above said path and the attached flaps atsaid subsequent station.

2. A machine for folding and applying adhesive to corner portions offiat paperboard blanks each scored along a line providing a marginalflap portion integral with the blank at the line and each flap portionbeing scored along a second line providing one of said corner portionsintegral with the flap along such line, comprising a pair of carrierbelts having opposed reaches for continuously and successively feedingthe flat blanks along a predetermined path with said flap portionsforemost, means disposed in said path in position to be engaged by andresist forward feeding movement of the blanks and thereby fold said flapportions upwardly and rearwardly about the first named line at apredetermined station in said path by said resistance against the flaps,a bar disposed over and along a portion of the path at said station andin position to be engaged by and resist said upward and rearwardmovement of the corner portions simultaneously with said folding of theflap portions and thereby fold each corner portion forwardly onto itsattached fiap about the second named line, said folded corner portionsnormally springing upwardly away from contact with the attached flaps,and a non-synchronized rotary applicator wheel having an adhesivelycoated and continuous peripheral annular surface disposed in spacedrelation above said path and said attached flaps at a subsequent stationalong the path and in position to be engaged by and apply adhesive to apredetermined area of the top face of each of said upwardly sprungfolded corner portions as it passes therebeneath during feeding of theblanks forwardly along said path.

3. A continuous and non-synchronized method of folding flap portions ofpaperboard blanks about fold lines and onto the blanks and applyingadhesive to the outer faces of the flaps, which consists in continuouslyand successively feeding the blanks horizontally along a predeterminedpath and simultaneously therewith folding said flaps onto the top facesof their attached blanks about said fold lines at a predeterminedstation in said path, said folded flaps normally springing upwardly awayfrom contact with the attached blanks, and applying adhesive to apredetermined area of the top face of each of said flaps at a subsequentstation along said path by continuing said feeding movement of thefolded blanks forwardly along the path with the upwardly sprung flapspassing beneath and in adhesiv applying contact with an adhesivelycoated surface disposed in spaced relation above said path and theattached blanks at said subsequent station.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,868,872 Bergstein July 26, 1932 2,197,089 Anderson Apr. 16, 19402,198,094 Swafford Apr. 23, 1940 2,462,513 Kucklinsky Feb. 22, 19492,647,447 Andre Aug. 4, 1953 2,733,643 Fergnani Feb. 7, 1956

